Dopamine and Oxytocin
by trisheerio
Summary: An FBI-turned-SHIELD psychologist is hired to work undercover and analyze the mental state of Dr. Bruce Banner. However, he seems to understand her more than she understands him.
1. Chapter 1

"Got enough caffeine there, sweetheart?" a voice teased from behind me. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not a sweetheart," I muttered in a quiet voice. The man behind me, Trevor, didn't hear me and instead grabbed a packet of low-cal sweetener and brushed his fingers against my side in what I assumed was an attempt to tickle me. Ugh. I really could do without this. It wasn't a special occurrence, either. Trevor McCowsky flirted with every single female in the office.

I stirred a spoonful of honey into my tea, which was, ironically, caffeine-free. I pursed my lips together as I did this, knowing I had a huge stack of paperwork to do over yesterday's work. So much writing…but I didn't have anything better to do. I sighed softly as I walked over to my desk, sitting down and staring at the huge stack of files and manilla envelopes and glossy photographs.

My desk was probably the most out of place in the whole office, mostly because it was the oldest one there. It had several unidentifiable stains and the top left drawer didn't open quite right and if I wanted to write on a completely level surface, I had to hook my foot over the little bar at the bottom and force the desk to sit flat on the ground. It was also littered with various personal effects, such as photos of my family, and one drawer had a smattering of fast food receipts shoved in between files.

"Hey, Lev. Whatcha got there?" a soft voice asked with a little smile. I looked up to find a friendly face. My friend Nora smiled at me, flashing her little dimples that came along with her smile. She was an intensely pretty woman and I often wondered how she wasn't married with a little one yet. However, Nora liked being married to her work and I was drawn to that, so we became friends quickly. Other men in the office had noticed her looks as well. It was hard not to, with her blonde curls and big brown eyes.

"Oh, paperwork. Nothing that special," I replied with a sigh. I gestured to the fat stacks of stuff that probably used half a forest of trees. Nora winced in sympathy.

"Yikes. Was that the arsonist or the paranoid personality guy?" she questioned

"Oh, both. He was a bit of an unusual bird," I sighed with a little shake of my head.

"How's the family of the—" Nora's sentence was cut off by the call of the leader, Sanchez. That was his last name, of course, but that's what we all called him. Calling him by anything else would not end well.

"Everyone, I need you in the meeting room. We've got another one," he called in that gravelly voice that simultaneously could put me to sleep and put me on edge. Nora and I both sighed in unison, causing me to laugh softly. Ray could be a bit pushy sometimes, but it was part of being a good leader. He had a very domineering personality and it tended to annoy others around him, but we all respected him too much to really comment on it…while he was around, anyways.

"Less work for you, huh?" she tried, but I shook my head.

"No, this paperwork is postponed until I get more paperwork." I playfully rolled my eyes at her. Nora chuckled and nodded.

"The life of a profiler. Come on," she tugged on my sleeve. I reluctantly stood up and followed her into the meeting room. The place was clean and mostly bare. A few whiteboards stood in the corners, waiting to be written on. I sat down near the end, next to Nora, and looked over at the other faces of the team. Ray, Trevor, Nora, and two others called Corrina and Burt. I didn't interact much with either of them. To tell the truth, I didn't interact with much of anyone. The curse of shyness plagued my days since preschool.

"We got a tip-off. Apparently, there's been a murder down in New York City," Ray began, but of course, Trevor interrupted.

"Yeah, so? Why do we care?" he scoffed and Ray shot him one of his cold hard stares that could always tear a confession from even the most hardened criminals.

"First of all, we care because that's a human being. Second of all, we care because it's apparently the fifth like it. I received a phone call detailing the murders of five women," he continued. I furrowed my brow in concentration.

"That…sounds like your standard serial killer," Corrina noted, apparently not impressed with this job. She had always liked the challenging cases.

"It does, doesn't it? Except for the fact that these women were all killed at different times and in different places. They don't even attend the same college. They live nowhere near to each other. The only thing that connects them is the cause of death…beheading,"as Ray said this, a collective silence fell over the group. I wrinkled my nose in pure disgust.

"Can we know anything without more victims?" Nora asked.

"That's what we're here to find out. We're taking a plane over to New York. First assignments: They said the death in the tunnel seems the most open and shut…there's not a lot of chance of being seen. Cliff, you're our best on motive. Take that one first and see what you can find. The rest of us will split up. One group to police and one group to look around the houses of victims," he ordered and I nodded my head.

"Next stop, New York," I sighed in agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

The bare tree branches bent in the bitter wind as I walked along the pavement. Frost decorated the ground like little diamonds embedded in the concrete jungle. I shivered as I drew my bright yellow coat tighter around my torso. The material didn't seem to protect against the way the wind would cut through my entire body. I wasn't sure I had ever felt such a cold in my entire life.

"Tunnel…tunnel…" I muttered to myself as I looked around. I supposed the reason I was having trouble finding the place is the same reason the guy had killed someone there in the first place. Remote, quiet, dirty…everything a killer could possibly want.

After a half hour of wandering around the city that never sleeps and stopping to buy some hot popcorn, in order to warm my hands, I told myself as I ate every last piece, I finally found the location.

I glanced around, eyeing the tunnel that began before me. It seemed so dark…I grimaced a little as I thought of everything that might lurk down below. Rats, cockroaches, worms, diseases, murderers, bats, spiders, snakes…the list went on. Unfortunately, I could already a sort of scrabbling usually attributed to rats or mice. I took a deep breath before I began walking in, stepping over the yellow caution tape that marked the place off. There, of course, was no reason that anyone shouldn't commit a crime down there. It seemed to be the perfect place to hide the evidence.

I grabbed a flashlight from within my purse and hurriedly slid the plastic switch to give my surroundings a dim light. I squealed as I suddenly realized I was standing on the shells of dead cockroaches. I did a funny little dance, or so it must have appeared, as I rushed to the bare ground.

"Ew…gross," I groaned before starting down once more. I could faintly hear the bustling of others. Must be the police or some other. I instantly felt a little more at ease and began to walk a little more comfortably, even though I knew that there were all sorts of dead things down here. I could see light in the distance, but from what, I wasn't sure. I suddenly felt the need for a gun, but I tried to rationalize with myself. There was no reason the killer would return now.

"Dr. Cliff?!" a voice suddenly thundered. I screamed and dropped my flashlight, the absolute worst thing to do in case of being in a dark tunnel with an unknown human along with you.

"FBI!" I managed to cry out, but the voice simply chuckled. To my surprise, my flashlight moved and then was handed back to me. I shined the light on the giver and found a tall man wearing an eyepatch and clothed in a dark coat. He held his hands out in front of him, palm up, and had a cautious expression.

"How did you know my name? You don't look like police…or a government agent," I said and I suddenly hated how trembling and weak my little voice sounded, especially bouncing off of the tunnel stone and back to my eardrums.

"I'm not, actually," he answered dryly and my lip trembled slightly. Oh, not good. Alarms rang in my head as loud as they possibly could. However, if he was concealing a weapon, however fast I could run would not beat the 1,500 meters per second of a bullet.

"T-Then…why are you here? Are you aware that this is a crime scene? I could arrest you for obstruction of justice." I tried this time and unfortunately, the man smirked. This was not working. I couldn't trick someone if I didn't actually know anything. I had never even been here before.

"That might work…except this isn't actually a crime scene," the guy began and I instantly started to panic. Okay, heels could function as a weapon if I stomped really hard on his foot, as long as his shoes aren't too thick. Elbows to the groin and nose for maximum chance of a getaway. I had no way of knowing how much of a shot this guy was, so I couldn't run for it without risking a gunshot wound and who knows what other consequences of getting caught. "Dr. Cliff…my name is Nick Fury. I'd like to speak with you about something," he finished.

"How the hell do you know my name? I am in a tunnel in New York City and some stranger knows my name and what's happening around here. That's not a good sign, if you were not aware of this previously." I tried to sound a little tougher. Unfortunately, I had never been too great under pressure or in confrontational situations. I had never been the bad cop type.

"I'm sorry we couldn't meet anywhere else. I'd rather not have your buddies at the FBI know about me or why you're here. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm from SHIELD. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

"I've never heard of that division. You expect me to believe you're from the government?" I frowned. It sounded official, but some of these guys could be really good liars.

"We're a special branch…sort of underground at the moment. I know this all might be too far-fetched to believe, but it's true. I made sure you were on this case. I made it up. I knew you'd be assigned to a place like this," Fury explained. His hands were still held up in the surrender position and I was sure he was just ready to wrap them around my neck.

"How do you know all this stuff about me?"

"Man inside, of course. Woman, I should say. She's watched you and kept me updated. We've been on the lookout for someone like you for a long while, Dr. Cliff."

I frowned even deeper and stared into his eyes, trying to gauge if he was lying to me or not. As I stared, he pulled out a file from his coat, stamped with a big red CONFIDENTIAL over the front. "See this? This is why I brought you here," Fury held it out to me. If he could carry it around in his coat, then it couldn't be dangerous. I hesitantly took the file and opened it up, finding that my flashlight illuminated the area enough for me to read. A photo was paperclipped to the top of the documents. A man stared up at me with dark eyes, yet they weren't sinister. I glanced at the name.

"A Bruce Banner? What do you want me to do with this?" I asked as I flipped through the contents of the folder. I found a few more photos here and there, but I couldn't find anything from childhood. He looked around forty-ish. The few words in the file weren't much. "You guys really don't know anything about him…you've got his house number and information, sure, but you've got nothing on his psyche, his mental state, anything," I raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly. That's why we need you, Dr. Cliff," Fury nodded. My eyes widened slightly.

"Me? Why me?"

"We need you to analyze him without letting him know you're analyzing him. Dr. Banner…does not take kindly to being watched. A criminal profiler is usually the best for the job, as they perform extremely well under pressure. However, we needed someone less uniform. We needed someone that Dr. Banner would trust and learn to grow fond of. And then I found you. Graduated with honors, yet no clubs, activities, hobbies, nothing. My agent told me you don't talk much in the workplace, but that you're not well-adjusted to protocols yet and you don't seem to be fond of being impersonal in your investigations. It's only your second year on the force, it's only to be expected," Fury explained. I was shocked that he knew so much about me.

"You're telling me you want me to go spy on a…a nuclear physicist?" I pointed to the information in the files. "You want me to go snoop on someone for…for money? Why do you even want his profile?" I asked in confusion.

"Dr. Banner is involved with our investigation. However…well, look for yourself," he turned the page for me and I stared down at a picture of what looked to be a spring green King Kong. "The Incredible Hulk. Huge and stronger than everything he's come across so far. Banner insists that he can control it and only let the beast out when he wants it to…but I want to make sure," Fury stated. I felt the blood drain from my face as I stared at the picture. Fury reached into his pocket and then handed me a thick envelope. "This is only half of your weekly sum for doing this for us."

I peered into the envelope and instantly considered fainting dead to the floor. That was a lot of money. However, I slowly shook my head.

"I really don't need the money. I'd rather not spend my time spying on someone for someone else," I insisted and Fury raised the eyebrow.

"Maybe you don't need the money…but your mother does," He informed me.

In that moment, I was positive that I felt my heart stop. My gaze instantly hardened and I tightened my grip on the file, flashlight, and the money.

"What the hell do you know about my mother?!" I demanded.

"In the hospital, huh? Yeah, ovarian cancer is pretty tough…pretty expensive, too," Fury shrugged and I swore that I could feel my hands shake.

"If I take this job…will I have time to visit her? And will you _swear_ never to come within a hundred yards of her?" I hissed low in my throat. Fury nodded.

"That money will more than cover her bills."

I thought for a few moments, but it seemed much longer than it probably actually was.

"Fine. I'm in."


	3. Chapter 3

"So you had to corner me in a tunnel coated in roaches and God knows what else?" I asked unhappily, still flipping through the file. I rode in a large black car, probably bulletproof, with large tinted windows and wheels big enough that I could barely feel the bumps and dips of the street.

"I couldn't let your associates find you so easily," Fury answered calmly, as if he weren't driving a military vehicle down Main.

"But…they'll look for me, won't they? How will you cover this up? The FBI doesn't take kindly to missing agents," I frowned. I could hear a little laugh from the front.

"My agent is taking care of it. As far as the FBI is concerned, you quit your job due to a mental breakdown and you will not be asked back."

"Right…so, who are you? I mean, how can I trust you? And what exactly does SHIELD do? Are big green mutated guys just a regular thing for you?" I continued to question Fury. It was part of my natural curiosity and another part of it came from my occupation as a psychologist. Asking questions was in the job description.

"Yes, actually. All you need to know is that I'm Fury and we're a special sect of the government. You are on a need to know basis, Dr. Cliff. All you need to know is in that file. Take note of the document in the back, paperclipped. That's your new information. I've taken the liberty of securing an apartment for you, near to some of our other agents. You will stay with Dr. Banner all day and only leave to sleep at night. You will constantly be by his side unless given a task that requires otherwise," Fury explained and a few thoughts suddenly popped into my head.

"So…you said I was fairly important for the success of this whole operation?" I raised an eyebrow. I could almost feel Fury stiffen slightly.

"Yes…what for?"

"Well, don't important people get to make, like, requests?"

"What do you want?" Fury's voice sounded terse and less than pleased. I gulped in slight fear. He couldn't do anything to me…I hoped.

"Well, I have to get to places somehow, but I don't want to hurt the environment. I want a bike. Not a motorcycle or anything. A normal bike. I'll need to stay in shape. And I'll need a budget for clothes. I brought a single suitcase, and that was left in the hotel. And I'll need a budget to get me started. Soap, kitchen utensils, sheets, a comforter for the bed, that sort of thing. And I'll need some things taken from my old place. Sentimental objects and some pictures," I listed off things I thought I should have. Fury sighed heavily.

"The money for clothes and household items was already in the plan. I suppose I can get you a bike and a quick trip home to grab whatever you think you need." He seemed annoyed that I couldn't pick up my entire life for this guy I had only seen in a few pictures yet, but I was satisfied that my needs were going to be met.

"Thank you."

"I'm dropping you off at your new apartment. It's not too late in the day, so your assignment is to get yourself situated with clothes or whatever you need. You'll take taxis, but I should have a bike by the end of the week. You start tomorrow at Dr. Banner's place, which is included in the file. I think we can squeeze you in on Sunday to make a quick trip home. By quick, I mean you'll be back in Virginia for four hours, maximum," Fury stated and I nodded in reply.

"And one more thing, Cliff. If I hear of _anything_ having to do with the FBI, the media, or anything else, I will make sure that-"

"Got it. Got it, I've got it. Yeah." I interrupted hurriedly. I really didn't want to think about that sort of thing.


	4. Chapter 4

I could no longer be sure if the chill was from my environment or my nerves. I could see the tree branches trembling in the wind, but I still couldn't quite rule out my goosebumps as purely from the temperature outside.

Dr. Banner's dwelling was average, to say the least. I stood outside an apartment complex that was situated between a pizza joint that claimed to have the world's best deep dish and a laundromat. It seemed to have your average people living in it. That fit the description of Dr. Banner in the files: extensive traveling, an intense dislike of living above the average citizen that came with living in third world countries for so long.

I may have stood outside for a good twelve minutes, just staring up at the building and wondering what I should do. However, I suddenly realized that the hour that people just sat around their places was soon ending and he might leave soon. It was quite important that I arrive early to begin my first day, so I walked up and buzzed for his apartment.

"Hello?" I could only assume that was Dr. Banner's voice. Suddenly, I couldn't quite remember what my reason was for coming up to see him.

"Um…hi. I'm…I was sent…" I tried to explain myself, but he was two steps ahead of me already.

"Are you from SHIELD?"

"Uh…yes," I was about to continue, but instead I heard a sigh and the door unlocked for me. Not an exasperated sigh, more of a resigned one. Maybe I wasn't the first agent to come knocking on his door. I walked in, noting how uncomfortably loud my heels were on the tile floor. The lobby was a little funny-smelling, but the floor was swept and the green houseplant seemed in good shape. I turned and started walking up the stairs.

For an FBI agent, I probably could have been in better shape. It wasn't very good that a few flights of stairs winded me, but that just added to the whole I'm-trustworthy ruse, I supposed. As I reached the door, I noted how clean the area around the door was. His doorknob was nicely polished and I couldn't see any dust illuminated by the sunlight. Clean…but I couldn't label him obsessive compulsive yet.

I knocked on the door twice, and this brought some footsteps. They were of average decibel, so at least he wasn't dragging his feet or stomping or tiptoeing or something else that would indicate something odd. I couldn't help but think that I was the completely wrong person for this job. I psychoanalyzed murderers, not guys that the government thought could become a threat in the foreseeable future. The lock clicked out of place and I was suddenly greeted with a sleepy-looking man.

"Um…Dr. Banner?" I asked timidly. What if it wasn't him? Maybe I had gotten the wrong door.

"Yes?" He answered me softly, gently really. I was almost immediately comforted by the tone of his voice.

"Hello…I, um…my name is Leven Cliff. I'm supposed to be your new personal assistant?" I managed to get out, but my voice didn't shake as much now. I was still rather frightened that he would just kick me out. I couldn't let that happen. For the sake of my mother, I was determined to analyze this guy…even if I was rather certain that I was the complete wrong person to do this.

"I didn't file for a PA. You…ah, Leven, I'd suggest that you go back to headquarters. I'm sorry for the trouble, but I don't need an assistant," Dr. Banner explained to me and with the little half-smile he gave me, I was almost certain that he was doing me a favor by sending me back. But I couldn't go back!

"Please don't," I blurted out accidentally. As he raised an eyebrow, I felt my ears heat up in what I was sure was a big, embarrassing blush. "I…I really need…I…" I tried to come up with some reason as to why I needed to stay, but I was drawing a blank on some lie. All my mind was filled with was my sick mother and the big cord plugged into the hospital wall. "I…I really need this job…" I finally murmured.

"Ah. I see. Well…" I could already see the expression of I'm-sorry-but-I-can't-help-you on his face. That was the same expression I wore when I had to explain that someone was dead. I couldn't let him give that same sympathetic expression to me.

"I could…I could start by making you a cup of coffee or tea." Dr. Banner's other eyebrow rose now in slight surprise. I could see it on his face.

"Well…all right, then. Come in," Dr. Banner opened the door, revealing a neat apartment, though I could instantly see that he was simply a neat person and not obsessive-compulsive. A shirt on the couch, a few takeout boxes here and there, pictures on the shelves seemingly unorganized. I stepped inside and glanced around, noting the amount of pictures. That seemed important, but nothing I could ask him about right now.

"How do you like it, Dr. Banner?" I asked softly as I walked towards the tile floor that indicated the kitchen. It was open, just an arch for a door.

"Tea, just plain," he called in reply.

"Well…strong or weak?" My brow furrowed slightly. "Just plain" wasn't exactly the best descriptor for how to brew a cup of tea.

"Strong," came the reply and I nodded obediently. As I approached the counter, a tin stuffed to the brim with teabags greeted me. Some were labeled, some were not, so I took the liberty of smelling them to decide which tea. I didn't know a whole lot about tea, but one was labeled a peach flavor and was white tea, whatever that meant. It seemed like something good for the morning, though, so I began brewing it for him.

I felt a little awkward, just sitting around, waiting for the tea to steep. It was quiet, which was a state of being that I normally didn't mind, but around strangers the silence became uncomfortable. Dr. Banner, however, seemed perfectly at ease. I watched him as he sat down on his sofa, picking up a book and beginning to flip through. He turned the pages unusually quickly, so I wondered if he were just turning to a page he had stopped reading on. After a few minutes, though, it didn't seem that way.

I opened this cabinet and that one, locating a shelf of various mugs. I chose a bright yellow one, finding that it was a pleasant color. I had a strange inclination towards the color. I suppose one could call it favoritism. I poured the tea in and carried it to him. I didn't want to bother him, but he looked up at me and thanked me so quietly I could not hear him.

"Can you really read that quickly?" I couldn't help but ask him. A smile tugged at the edges of his lips.

"You've been watching?"

"Well…um, yes. It was either you or watch the water steep," I admitted and surprisingly enough, Dr. Banner laughed a little. It was a short laugh and seemed to cut off too soon, but he had a rich laugh. It sounded almost rusty from unuse.

"Yes, I read this quickly," He answered me and this time, I received a wider smile. I tried to smile back, but I felt like I must have looked constipated.

"That's…well…that's quite fast. Can you remember what you read, too?" I wondered aloud.

"Yes, I can," Dr. Banner was watching me now. His eyes were deep and captivating. He seemed to stare right into my soul and I wondered if he could see my real assignment or my deepest fears or sins. Then I noticed that he was not staring at me in an analyzing way, but he was simply putting his attention on me. That made me feel a little uncomfortable. I was not used to being so visible.

"Why don't you need an assistant, Dr. Banner? I'm sure that most men would love having a little extra help. Are you a bit of a workaholic, then?" At that, my psychologist instincts started kicking in.

"Well, I suppose you could say that. But I also don't actually do much these days."

"But surely someone like you couldn't stay so dormant for long," I said and then instantly regretted my response. That was not the response of someone without a degree in psychology.

"You're observant. I do…have a project or two. What makes you say that?" Dr. Banner asked the question now, looking at me with a curious expression.

"Well…they told me you were a scientist. I've met a few of them. You're a very curious people. My acquaintances could never stay still for very long and they always had to be doing something. An idle mind was never an option for them. Plus, it's very unhealthy to not learn. Different stimulation keeps the brain healthy. I mean, that's what they told me," I tried to cover up my tracks now. Of course it wasn't totally a lie. I had met scientists and they had said those things. I was just sort of…hiding the whole truth. A half-truth, really.

"Your acquaintances are right…but I prefer not to have anyone caught up with me," He answered and I detected a stiffening of his body now. Something that made him uncomfortable. Abort mission. I couldn't make him shut down now.

"Oh…well, I'm not sure that's for you to decide, Dr. Banner. Maybe you ought to trust your peers to care about you, hm?" I shrugged a little. Dr. Banner ran a hand through his dark, salt and pepper curls.

"Perhaps." I knew already that he didn't actually mean that, but I let it slide. There was no reason for him to confide in me as of yet. "It's nearly nine. Can I give you a ride?" he then asked me. I could almost see my face brightening in my head.

"Depends on where, Dr. Banner," I couldn't help but be hopeful that he was going to let me stay. I did really need this job.

"To work with me. I thought you were my new assistant, aren't you?" Dr. Banner chuckled. I beamed happily.


	5. Chapter 5

The ride was quiet for the most part, which put me on edge. I wondered if he was staring at me and analyzing me as much as I was doing the same to him. I felt a little guilty about the whole thing already. He seemed like a decent person and I didn't want to intrude on all his privacy. Then the picture of the Hulk appeared in my head and I felt even more uneasy.

"Texas?"

"What?" I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't even registered that he began speaking to me.

"Texas," came his slightly amused reply. "Am I right in assuming that you're from Texas?" I blinked in surprise. That was the type of analysis my coworkers at the FBI could pull off. I didn't expect it from Dr. Banner, especially since he was a nuclear physicist.

"O-originally, yeah. How could you tell?" I asked, obviously shocked. I had grown up in a tiny town in Texas before moving away for college in California and finally to Virginia for the FBI. My accent was still there, but he should have only been able to tell that I was southern, not specific state.

"I…travel a lot. Your dialect is pretty distinct," he sounded a little uncomfortable and yet I could tell he wasn't lying. A half-truth, then, maybe? I wouldn't push it yet. I barely knew him and pursuing this would only make him shut down.

"Oh. Wow. That's pretty impressive. Can you do that with everyone?" I asked curiously. Flattery was always a safe choice. He laughed and I could see the faintest blush on his cheeks.

"No, not everyone. Just people from places I've spent some time in. It's not that impressive. Just observing," he shook his head. "We're here." The sudden change of subject confirmed that he was a little embarrassed by the flattery. I had better go light on that, then. I didn't want him all flustered. I looked out the window to see a very clean building, supposedly where he worked. I stepped out of the cab and slipped the driver some cash before Bruce could. He frowned lightly.

"You didn't have to do that," he began but I smiled softly and shook my head.

"I know. But I wanted to. Besides, I don't plan on taking taxis much longer. I've…I've been saving up for a bike," I lied. I hadn't been saving up, but I was getting a bike, so surely it couldn't be that bad of a lie. "So I figured I might as well pay while you have to cart me around." Dr. Banner nodded once, but slowly.

"Well…all right," he finally sighed and I smiled a little more.

"It's no trouble, really," I assured him. He nodded again and turned to walk inside of the building. I stumbled a little before hurrying to catch up with him. He had longer legs than I did, especially since I was only a couple inches more than five feet without heels and he was pretty tall. "Ah…what would you like me to help you with?" I asked curiously. He seemed to mull this over in his head for a few moments.

"Just assisting me in the lab with measurements and writing things down would be helpful," he answered me kindly. Well, he was nice enough to trust me with that. I had half expected to be doing secretary work. Not that I didn't have experience with paperwork, but it would be hard to build a working relationship with him that way.

"I can do that. I even, um…I brought my high school periodic table of elements," I admitted with slight embarrassment as I brought it out. It was color coded and had all sorts of scribblings on it to remind me of this or that. He glanced over and a smile quirked up on his lips.

"I like the heart," he chuckled softly and I could feel myself flush.

"I-it was to remind me which elements give electrons. You know, cause they're nice, so they get a heart. They make cations, because, you know, cat people are warm and fuzzy and so they're positively charged." I really needed to shut up about my dorky ways of remembering things. But Dr. Banner just smiled.

"That's a smart way of remembering it. I never had any of those sorts of reminders. I just memorized the hard way. It might have been easier if I had something creative like that." His words put me at ease. And he was sort of complimenting me, which was pretty big. I didn't answer, but I was smiling and I couldn't seem to stop. I followed him into the elevator and stood to the side as he pressed the button.

"Now, who are you, lovely?" I suddenly looked up. That wasn't Dr. Banner's voice and I doubted that he was being referred to as lovely by a man's voice, so I could only assume that this someone was addressing me. I found a man standing in front of me. He was younger than Dr. Banner, probably in his late twenties, with wavy black hair and dark green eyes. Oh, God…he was _really_ cute.

"Uh…Leven Cliff?" I sounded unsure of my own name, which made this handsome stranger laugh and hold out his hand for me to shake.

"Daniel Carter, but you can call me Danny," he grinned at me. When I reached out to shake his hand, he instead grabbed it and leaned down to press a kiss to my freckled knuckles. I blushed even more, but was suddenly snapped out of the little fantasy world I was in by Bruce visibly stiffening out of the corner of my eye. His mouth had hardened and I realized I shouldn't have been flirting with men while on the job, which had to be annoying him.

"U-um, well, nice to meet you, Danny," I gently withdrew my hand when he had let go and stepped back a little to let him know that the conversation was over.

"This is my floor anyways. I'll see you around, Leven Cliff. I hope I can call you later. You look like a girl who'd like…Thai food, eight o'clock on Friday?" I didn't even have time to answer before he left. Did…was that a date? Did he ask me on a date? Well, ask wasn't entirely accurate. I cleared my throat uncomfortably and stood in silence for the rest of the ride until we got to Dr. Banner's floor.


End file.
